Unknown timber Harvester?
The image is from a photograph collection that was originally stored at Kincardine Forest District office at Durris and may have been taken by Sandy Sandilands.
This image may have been taken in Kielder Forest on a visit to see some harvesting machinery demonstrations.The year is an estimate.
Can anyone name the harvester manufacturer and the model type? See the PDF below for a rear view of the four wheeled machine base.
Download Large Version (611kB)
Groups: Mystery and unknown, Timber harvesters, processors, forwarders and cable cranes
Group: Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports - 489 pictures
2 Comments
Goodness me.
I can't be absolutely certain but the young man at the back of the machine looks very like Simon Fraser who was in the same cohort as me at Newton Rigg. In 1978-79 1st year and 1980-81 3rd year so its possible that this is the machine Bill Rayner remembers from 1979 as Simon would be there at the same time.
Apart from the striking colour difference in Bill's memory!
And a flash of memory inspiration suggests to me the chap to the right might be Chris Piper who left Newton Rigg after 1st year and went I think to Aberdeen University to study forestry.
Anyway, as Bill says 43, and now 46 years ago! Comment left on 28 October 2025 at 18:05 by John Burrow
I can't be absolutely certain but the young man at the back of the machine looks very like Simon Fraser who was in the same cohort as me at Newton Rigg. In 1978-79 1st year and 1980-81 3rd year so its possible that this is the machine Bill Rayner remembers from 1979 as Simon would be there at the same time.
Apart from the striking colour difference in Bill's memory!
And a flash of memory inspiration suggests to me the chap to the right might be Chris Piper who left Newton Rigg after 1st year and went I think to Aberdeen University to study forestry.
Anyway, as Bill says 43, and now 46 years ago! Comment left on 28 October 2025 at 18:05 by John Burrow
Form Goes Here
The machine relied on the trees being sned of all branches at least 1.5m up from the ground and any large buttresses being removed and then felled, but left hanging to the right-hand side of the rack. If the OB diameter was greater than 30cm (?) then the bottom length of Bowater pulp had to be removed and at least the next 1.5m sned to allow the machine to grab the butt and pull the tree down. Ground clearance was a problem and as the machine wasn't able to cut it's own path the racks had to be wide enough to allow it to pass, so at least 2 rows had to come out in the rack. I might also add that at 6'2" the job gave me a sore back from running around like the "Hunchback of Notre Dame". Thankfully, I had a Husquavarna 444 with a 13" bar, so wasn't lugging a heavier saw and bar about.
I cannot remember the price per tree, for snedding and felling, regardless of whether a pulp length was removed, 6p comes to mind!
I also felled some trial racks in NS, but the size of the "paps" at the base of the lower branches meant that I was taking 2 lengths of Bowater pulp off the butt and even then the head struggled to deal with them when the tree was pulled between the knives.
I look forward to any other experienced comments and apologies if after 43 years I have some incorrect details. I will be happy to rectify them if necessary. BillR Comment left on 06 December 2021 at 23:31 by Bill Rayner